Hatred, ignorance and greed inside us are the enemies

My role as "Buddhist priest" requires that I work for the benefit of all beings. To meet this end, I have no national, racial, sexual, ethnic, political or even religious identity.

To function at an absolute level, I ask, "How I can best make myself an instrument of happiness, and a reliever of suffering for all beings?" I have found this to be liberating, as it helps circumvent the tribalism of political party, national identity, etc.

How does one cultivate such a mind?

As a "Buddhist," I recognize I am made up of non-Buddhist elements -- things that we don't label Buddhist.

For example, I have a body, given to me by someone else, that relies on water, food and nutrients. My mind is made up of English, history, science, memory, perceptions and feelings. If any of these non-Buddhist elements are missing, then I do not and will not exist.

Likewise, I know that as an "American," I am made up of non-American elements. I am only "American" due to the coming together of non-American elements.

Because of this, I become aware of how everything is interdependent. I impact everything and everything impacts me.

My action of buying bananas in America has an impact on non-American elements that grew and picked the bananas. The decisions the banana grower makes about how to cultivate the bananas (pesticides, etc.) also have an impact on the environment the banana is grown in and, ultimately, my body.

Recognizing that I am made up of non-Buddhist and non-American elements, and understanding interdependence, I know that hatred toward these elements, even when we call some elements "enemies," is just a form of ignorance.

True wisdom recognizes an "enemy," perhaps a terrorist, must logically have non-terrorist elements. For example, they must have Buddhist and American elements. Also logically, every Buddhist and American must contain some terrorist elements.

This realization is inescapable if one applies logic. There is not a single thing that is not part of all other things.

Buddhists recognize there are people who bring misery, but they are brethren regardless of identity. People -- or religions, or nations, or terrorists -- are not the real enemies. The hatred, anger, ignorance and greed inside all of us are the real enemies.

Hatred is not American, Christian or terrorist -- it is hatred. In a moment of hatred and anger, there is no difference between people whether they are the president of the United States or a terrorist.

This rule applies one to one and nation to nation. Enlightenment is the antidote to this ignorance. But what is the path to enlightenment?

To accomplish the enlightenment of no-enemy and to be free of our ignorance, we must first listen deeply to the suffering of all the elements inside our nation -- those who are disenfranchised inside our walls. We must do so while the world watches us listen, confess and console.

This act of listening deeply will heal our own wounds and also show the world, and our "enemies," that we are capable of egoless hearing and healing. After we heal our own suffering, then we can heal the suffering of others.

We must then listen deeply to others about the resentment, the horror, the pain that as a nation we have the responsibility for inflicting, and how we have affected the non-American elements by clinging to what we call America.

We must hear the ways we have impacted other cultures in the pursuit of our own interests. And this is not one-sided; the "other" must do the same, and someone has to take the high ground of wisdom and start the process. We must hope and cultivate their and our enlightenment.

Without a national enlightenment, "God Bless America" will only mean our nation will continue to cover its hands in blood in the name of divine righteousness and national identity. In turn there will be more hijackings and bombings in the name of another ignorant nation or religion. No one recognizing the other in ourselves is the doom of all.

And as Mahatma Gandhi noted, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." We must eradicate the real enemy, the one found in the depths of our own hearts and minds, and also help others eradicate theirs.

We must recognize all the non-American things that make us American. Seeing deeply, we act truthfully, overcoming all falsehood and pain.

Ven. Ocean-of-Wisdom Sakya of Danbury is a Buddhist priest and abbot at the Middle-Way Meditation Centers. His e-mail address is twjarvis1@gmail.com.